La Colombe et Le Tigre. Ma collection de photographies de la Comtesse de Castiglione 1860s

This is a handwritten document, likely produced in the late 19th century, detailing a collection of photographs of the Countess de Castiglione. The script, penned in ink on paper, has a personal quality, indicative of its private nature. The material itself, simple paper and ink, belies the immense amount of work involved in the production of the photographs it describes. Each portrait of the Countess would have required skilled labor from photographers, studio assistants, and the Countess herself, who meticulously crafted her image. The social context of this artwork speaks to the rise of celebrity and the commodification of image in the late 19th century. The handwriting, although elegant, is practical, and the text provides insight into the scope and value of the Countess's photographic archive. Considering these elements alongside more conventional art historical analysis allows a fuller appreciation of the complex relationship between art, labor, and social identity.